You Can't Sing!
by randomfics
Summary: When Kotarou doesn't show for an practice, Akaba goes after him. drabble.


Today wasn't a good day. Ping. Ping. Ping. Twang.! He winced as his guitar let off another sour note once more as he fiddled with the tuning. "Hey, Akaba!" The red eyed man glanced up as the woman jogged closer to him.

"Yes Julie?"

"Have you seen Kotarou? He hasn't shown up for practice today, and he isn't answering his cell phone."

Akaba's brow rose skeptically. His hair and smart obsessed friend not tell Julie something? "I haven't heard from him yet. Maybe there's an emergency?"

Julie shook her head. "No, he'd call me if it was an emergency. I hate to ask, but could you go look for him? Everyone is uneasy to not have our kicking pro here."

"Fuu. His and my chords do not match, and I fear if I go to look for him it would be a crescendo of overrunning emotions."

_Not to mention he'd spit on my guitar._ "Please Akaba? I think if anyone else did it he'd die of embarrassment."

Akaba nodded genially as he slung the guitar over one shoulder, adjusting it into a more comfortable position before gliding away. Where to go? Julie had known Kotarou much longer then he ever had, and the man's confusing varied pitches made it near impossible to predict what he would do next.

_Not at all like most songs with their smoothly flowing melodies- he's the like someone took a bucket of notes and dumped them on a white sheet of paper. _Akaba glanced towards the bridge where Kotarou had first (and finally) met Musashi. A flicker of a shape he knew much too well, and he began his unhurried walk towards the distant bridge.

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Not smart. He was so completely not smart, skipping practice. But he couldn't go to practice or else He would be there. And He was distracting him- Kotarou growled at the empty can at his feet, glancing down towards the trashcan. It had been jostled slightly, so getting it into the opening wouldn't be too hard-

"Kotarou-" The warm voice broke into his thoughts as he kicked the can. The can went wild spinning off towards the side to slam into the wall next to the trashcan. _Crap. _

"Is your harmony alright?" Akaba sounded surprised, and Kotarou jumped to direct the mans thoughts away from his bad kick.

"What's with your music speak! It's so not smart!" He scolded, not turning around to face the man. He didn't quite think he was up to it yet. Not after the dream he had. "Speak in words that normal people can understand."

"I am. It is not my fault that your I.Q. is low." Akaba snarked back.

Oh. Ow. His shoulders slumped slightly at the words, and he could just see Akaba's smirk in the back of his mind. Not Smart. Not smart at all. He shouldn't be thinking about this. Why was he thinking about this? It wasn't as if Akaba thought anything of him. Of course he had probably helped the process along with taking the chance to argue with him every single slight comment…

Akaba watched in surprised as instead of Kotarou giving off some sort of flip comment he instead slumped against the railing. Obviously his harmony was jangled more then usual, and what he had just done was throw an sour note into the usual shrill upbeat music. "Kotarou-"

He reached out to touch the teens shoulder, and Kotarou flinched away. Now he knew something was wrong. Now what?

Music. Music solved everything.

He unslung his guitar, silently running fingers down strings. Normally he'd say a upbeat pop song but- Kotarou would likely hit him once he recognized the song. So why not go with a little known English slow song and forget completely about the fact that the slow song was a love song. Because there was no way Kotarou would know what he was playing, and there would be no way Kotarou would actually return those feelings. Right?

The first few strands of music filled the air, and Akaba watched as Kotarou twitched once. Just once.

The opening chords were being reached, and now Kotarou looked at him with an odd look on his face. Akaba smiled back serenely as he thanked that his glasses were on- if they weren't, Kotarou would've seen them go wide in some quiet panic.

"A love song Akaba? That is so not smart."

"Ah? So you do recognize it Kotarou. I was wondering if you would."

"Not smart Akaba!" Kotarou grinned his usual smirky grin, but Akaba didn't stop playing the song despite having now achieved his original goal. His new goal was to annoy Kotarou. "If you keep playing I'll have to sing with you."

Akaba blinked, before smirking. "Fuu- I suppose if your ready to embarrass yourself like that, then go ahead."

"You're the one who'll embarrass himself! My singing is flawless!"

"Oh?" Akaba shook his head. "Your musical sense is very much ajar, you should give up now."

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Julie watched the two boys come back, Akaba looking slightly sheepish and embarrassed, Kotarou triumphant. Kotarou carried a plastic bag in one hand. "Hey you found him Akaba!"

"Yes, my guess in harmony was correct." Akaba nervously touched his guitar, glancing at the plastic bag. "Umm, are the money problems still throwing you off harmony?"

"Huh?"

Now Kotarou was grinning broadly as he shoved the bag in her hands. "Look at how much money I earned for singing!"

"S-S-Singing? What were you two doing out there! How on Earth did you get so much money?"

Kotarou smirked as his comb flicked through his hair. "Akaba was not smart and thought that I couldn't sing. I proved him wrong."

* * *

_a/n: I think Kotarou could probably sing. After all, the person he admires most is **Elvis** of all people, so I think he understands Akaba a little better then he lets others know. _


End file.
